marvelfandomcom-20200222-history
James Buchanan Barnes (Earth-616)/Expanded History
__TOC___ Preface The history of James Buchanan Barnes spans some 70 years of publications. Below is an unabridged accounting of his history. For the abridged version see the James Buchanan Barnes (Earth-616) Order of Appearance: Wherever possible, all orders of Bucky's appearances over his 70 year history has been cross referenced with the Avengers, Thor & Captain America: Official Index to the Marvel Universe Vol 1. Regarding 1940s Publications: It has been revealed that a number of Bucky's wartime adventures were actual comic book adaptations published as wartime propaganda, particularly this adventures with the Young Allies but they are based on actual facts despite obvious embellishments and artistic license on the part of the comic book creators. Early Life Born in 1925, James Buchanan Barnes lost both his parents early in his life; his mother had died when he was a child and his father had died in an accident while in basic training at Camp Lehigh shortly before Christmas in 1937. He was separated from his younger sister Rebecca, who was sent to boarding school while he persuaded officials into letting him remain at camp Lehigh as a ward of the state due to sharing his father's love of the armed forces. World War II 1941 ]] However by the time he was a teenager, James became to be a delinquent, regularly starting fights around camp , and began a profitable business smuggling in contraband . It gotten to the point where everyone looked the other way until the night of Jame's 16th birthday when he managed to get drunk at the enlisted club and got into a fight, knocking out two sailors and breaking the wrist of an MP. Following this incident, his fathers friend Major Samson decided it was best to ship James off to England for special combat training . There he spend months training under the United States military and the British S.A.S. . The intent was to groom James into the ideal soldier and a month later he was brought back to the United States a month later to become the partner to the recently empowered Captain America. The implicit purpose of Bucky was to be not only a counter to the Hitler Youth in Nazi Germany, but also to be a covert agent to carry out darker parts of missions that would otherwise tarnish the symbolic nature of Captain America's character . While other accounts have stated that James stumbled upon Captain America's secret identity of Steve Rogers by accident and convinced him to be his sidekick , and had to get clearance from the military , it has been revealed that this was merely a media cover story to add a "family friendly" context to the Captain America origin story to placate the American people . James became Captain America's partner Bucky and participated in the majority of Captain America's adventures throughout World War II. One of Bucky's first missions with Captain America was stopping Nazi saboteurs from destroying a train. For their success, they were thanks personally by President Franklin Roosevelt. Bucky was left behind when the Sub-Mariner later kidnapped the President forcing Captain America to go after him and rescue Roosevelt . Bucky's first few adventures with Captain America would include clashing with phony fortune tellers Sando and Omar, Nazi assassin Rathcone and George Maxon who was then posing as the Red Skull. During this period they also became friends with Betty Ross of the FBI who became a regular ally . Bucky also joined Captain America in battling Benson and his Oriental Giants, rescue millionaire Henry Baldwin from Nazi Germany while clashing with Hitler and Hermann Goering, and has a close call with death when thwarting the Wax Man . Maxon would return again as the Red Skull and attempt to slay Cap and Bucky but fail in doing so costing him his life. Later, Bucky helped Captain America expose actor Craig Tibolt as a Nazi sympathizer, and then needed rescuing from his mentor from the Butterfly . Bucky next helped Cap expose the Unholy Legion, stop some counterfeiters, and was imperiled by Dr. Grimm and his creations before being saved by Cap once again . During this time, Bucky had also helped found the Sentinels of Liberty fan club, a youth group that endorsed patriotism and support of the United States during the war. The United States government used the group to found the Young Allies which consisted of Bucky, the Human Torch's sidekick Toro, Patrick "Knuckles" O'Toole, Geoffrey "Jeff" Vandergill, Henry "Tubby" Tinkelbaum, and Washington "Wash" Jones. Their adventures were adapted into a comic book published by Timely Comics, but the members of the Allies had their names altered, likenesses overly dramatized (and not in the most flattering ways in some cases) and the stories embellished . Their first recorded adventure together involved being chased across the globe protecting a British spy from the true Red Skull and needing to be rescued by Captain America and the Human Torch in China . When Captain America learned that George Maxon was not the real Red Skull, he and Bucky smuggled themselves into Nazi Germany to confront the real Skull and were captured . With Captain America exposed to a serum that made him the Skull's slave, Bucky broke out of his cell and posed as a Nazi soldier to follow Cap on his mission to assassinate an American military official in London . Bucky's pleas to Cap to snap out of it were enough to break the Skull's hold on Captain America who then -- with Bucky's help -- rounded up the Nazi soldiers. They were then dispatched to a local army base where they thwarted Wolfgan, an escaped Prisoner of War, from utilizing a new experimental "Vanishing Ray" . Later put on guard duty in the Bowery with Steve, Bucky assisted him in stopping Nazi agent the Lord of Death and his army of homeless Zombies . Returning to Camp Lehigh, Bucky helped Captain America stop the original Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime, destroy the Imperial Japanese super-sub the Dragon of Death in Hawaii, led the Sentinels of Liberty to track down a Nazi Bund which Cap later shut down. Later Bucky accompanied Cap to the French controlled Devil's Island where they saved Steve's friend Tom Jason from his torturous jailer Pepo Laroc . Returning to the United States, Bucky assisted Captain America in incarcerating Nazi agent the Creeper . Further adventures included assisting Captain America in preventing the theft of the British Royal jewels by the Camera Fiend, rescuing a Chinese ambassador from Japanese agent the Fang, recovering a super-silk formula from the Hangman , defending Camp Lehigh from the Red Skull, protecting the Brooklyn Badgers baseball franchise from the Black Toad, and the Nazi assassin known as the Fiddler . While escorting documents over to Singapore, Bucky and Captain America found their plane downed over the Malay Archipelago where they prevented Nazi spy Kurt Mueller and his slaves of the Dhaka Tribe from obtaining the plans . Later, Bucky joins Captain America in protecting the Ruby of the Nile from Ra the Avenger, expose supposed French freedom fighter Pierre Dumort as a Nazi operative, and protect heiress Karin Lee from the Black Witch . Subsequently, Bucky also aided Captain America in exposing the identity of the White Death, stopping death row defying Nick Pinto, and foil two insane artists the Black Talon and the Mad Painter . During his next meeting with the Young Allies, Bucky and the other young men assisted Dora Livingstone in locating her missing father Martin, a famous explorer. Locating him on an island dubbed New America, Bucky and the Young Allies defended it from Nazis led by the Black Talon and liberated it with an assist from Captain America and the Human Torch . Back at Captain America's side, Bucky also helped stopped Countess Mara from stealing a rapid fire grenade launcher for the Nazis, rescued Captain America from Net-Man in Gotham City, and helped Cap expose the true identity of the Hound of Cardiff Moor . In November of 1941, Captain America and Bucky were dispatched along with a troop of soldiers into Africa. Part of their mission was to attack Nazi forces there and accept the surrender of Nazi defector Major Hans Guettzer to the United States military. Unknown to all, Bucky was really in command of the mission and that he had secret orders to local and assassinate high ranking Nazi official Baron Strucker. Unfortunately, their plane ran out of fuel forcing them to crash land and their forces were pinned down by Nazi forces. They were then rescued by a team of British S.A.S. led by American soldier Nick Fury who were also joined by Canadian adventurer Logan whom, unknown to all was ordered by his employers to learn what he could about Captain America . Logan earned Bucky's ire when he took Captain America's previous offer to partner up, and soon Fury exposed to Cap the full scope of their mission in Djbera including Bucky's side mission. While Captain America led his forces to attack the Nazi camp and effect the surrender of Hans Guettzer, Bucky slipped away to complete his part of the mission, with Captain America and Logan following after him . Bucky discovered that Baron Strucker was forming his own organization a terrorist cell known as Hydra and was captured. Brought before a group of Hydra agents by a man who appeared to be Baron Strucker, Bucky seemingly slew Strucker. However, when he was saved by Fury, Logan, Cap and the S.A.S. it became clear that he only killed an man posing as Strucker. Pairing with Logan to search for Strucker, Bucky told Logan about Captain America's origins taking pleasure with the need to kill the Canadian mutant after telling him a classified secret. Logan however managed to knock the youth out . Bucky feigned unconsciousness and overheard Logan's objectives to not only keep Strucker alive, but to help him escape. Bucky revived and pretended not to have heard the entire conversation but later as they flew out of the region with Strucker as their prisoner attempted to warn Cap. This came too late as their plane was soon shot down and Strucker and Logan were recovered by Baron Zemo. Recovering from the crash, Bucky laid down cover fire, striking Logan in the chest -- ending a fight with Captain America -- and forcing the Nazis to flee. With their mission a failure, Bucky and Captain America left Logan to die in the desert, however Logan would survive and live to clash with Bucky again in the future . Returning to Camp Lehigh, Bucky helped Captain America expose Nazi agents posing as American soldiers, was framed and cleared for murder when implicated in a plot by George Brenner to incite a family feud between the Rand and Codger families thanks to Captain America, helped capture the jealous actor Jacques Laval who murdered a fellow actor for the love of Lilly Renard and also assisted in stopping rabble rouser and Nazi agent the Reaper . Later while helping Captain America in defending a defense factory, Bucky and his mentor failed to stop Nazi agent the Teutonic Knight from stealing plans for an military airship dubbed the "Flying Arsenal" . They were more successful in capturing Dr. Crime, preventing Oroccan mercenary Rozzo from assassinating the visiting Oroccan president , and stopping Japanese spy Mysto the Magician . As the winter months were coming to a close, Bucky accompanied Captain America to investigate a meeting between Nazi spies in America and the Atlantean traitor known as U-Man. Attacking the meeting, the pair were assisted by the costumed hero known as the Angel. While U-Man managed to escape, Cap and Bucky captured an Atlantean soldier and took him back to Washington D.C. for interrogation . With the information taken from the Altantean soldier, on December 7th 1941 the same day as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Bucky joined Captain America and the Sub-Mariner in thwarting a second attack. This attack was a join invasion by both Nazi and rogue Atlantean soldiers led by U-Man. Not only did Bucky assist in turning back the attack force, but also insured that it did not become publicly known . On December 22nd following Americas declaration of war against the Axis forces, Bucky joined Captain America in preventing an act of sabotage at the Liberty Shipyards. Afterward the pair are rushed to a nearby hospital by the FBI, as Dr. Anderson -- one of the scientists involved in Operation Rebirth -- was critically shot. He explains to Cap and Bucky that he was forced to use his knowledge to help empower a Nazi agent known as Master Man with a Super Soldier Serum derivative. Realizing that Master Man intends to attack the vessel bringing British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to America to meet with President Roosevelt, Bucky joins Captain America, the Human Torch, Toro and the Sub-Mariner in opposing him. They succeed in defeating Master Man, and Churchill suggests that they continue working together and dubs them the Invaders . Shortly after this, President Roosevelt officially sanctions the team . Bucky accompanies the Invaders to England where they thwart a German air raid and are led to Nazi Germany by a woman named Hilda and into a battle with three men claiming to be Teutonic gods Donar, Froh and Loga . They are eventually revealed to be members of the Tekeli-Li race who had been enslaved by the Nazi scientist Brain Drain. Hilda and her comrades sacrifice their lives to destroy Brain Drain and his technology while the Invaders flee the scene . 1942 Returning to the Untied States, Bucky joins the Invaders in intercepting a Nazi U-Boat and recover a coded message. Handing it over to the military they learn that the U-Man intends to attack Winston Churchill on his return to the United Kingdom. This angers Namor who wishes to deal with the traitor alone, but the other Invaders attempt to stop him. Bucky, sympathetic to Namor's plight helps him escape in his craft . The two are later joined by the rest of the Invaders who help them fight off U-Man, saving Churchill and Namor's reporter friend Betty Dean . Later, when the Torch and Toro go missing in the Swiss Alps, Bucky accompanies Captain America and Namor to search for them. They soon learn that they have been captured by Basil Frankenstein and rescue them, while also destroying the mad scientists Nazi Frankenstein's Monster . Returning to the US at Captain America's side, Bucky helps stop the League of Unicrons from assassinating Chinese royal Prince Tsaihoon, and stop modern day pirate the Looter . Bucky then rejoined the Young Allies in helping the US military thwart an invasion of Alaska by Japanese forces led by the Khan . Participating in a war bond parade with the other Invaders, Bucky is shocked when the Red Skull captures all his teammates. The Skull leaves Bucky behind, scoffing at the boy and considering him no threat due to his lack of powers . This proves to be the Red Skull's undoing, as Bucky then gathered the Patriot, Miss America, Whizzer, Thin Man, Red Raven, Jack Frost, and the Blue Diamond forming a new group of heroes known as the Liberty Legion. Bucky led the Legion on a mission to stop Nazi saboteurs . When the Red Skull learned of the Liberty Legion's formation he sent the Invaders out to destroy American monuments but the Legion, under Bucky's leadership, managed to thwart this plot . After capturing his friend Toro, Bucky and the Legion clashed against the enthralled Invaders at Yankees Stadium until Toro shook off the effects of his mind control and destroyed the air-ship that kept Captain America and the others under the Red Skull's control, freeing them and thwarting their plot. With the Invaders back under their own free will Bucky left the Liberty Legion to rejoin them and Captain America, entrusting the Legion to defend the United States whenever they were absent . Returning to England with the Invaders, Bucky clashed with Baron Blood and met the Falsworth family, Jacqueline, Lord Montgomery (who was the original Union Jack during World War I) and John (who was secretly Baron Blood) . Bucky joined the Invaders and Lord Falsworth (taking his Union Jack identity out of retirement) on a fruitless hunt to stop Baron Blood . Ultimately, Bucky and the other Invaders managed to slay Baron Blood by impaling him through the chest with a stalagmite in a cave, although Jacqueline was seriously drained of blood in the process . Bucky accompanied the Invaders to a hospital to get Jacqueline medical attention where he helped his comrades clash with the Blue Bullet while the Torch revived Jacqueline with a blood transfusion that gained her super-human speed. She then joined the team as Spitfire . Promising Blue Bullet inventor John Gold to rescue his brother Jacob Goldstein, Bucky joined the Invaders in travelling into the ghettos of Warsaw Poland to liberate him only to be captured by the Nazis . Prisoners of Nazi commander the Face, Bucky and the others were rescued by Goldstein who managed to transform himself into the Golem of Jewish myth . Returning to London, Bucky and the Invaders are upstaged by a new team of heroes known as the Crusaders who take their place as security for the King of England . However it is quickly revealed that the Crusader's backer is really a Nazi spy and the Invaders help expose this truth and save the King with the Crusaders assistance . Bucky and Toro were ordered to stay behind at the Invaders new home base within Big Ben while Captain America, the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner were sent on a mission to capture three Nazi operatives . Following this mission, Bucky joined Captain America and the Sub-Mariner in investigating a sighting of the Red Skull and Baron Strucker along the German countryside. What they found was the remains of a sacrifice carried out by the Thule Society using Atlanteans as sacrifices. Learning that what the Skull had summoned landed in Antarctica, Bucky accompanied Cap and Namor there where they clashed with a massive creature, killing it in an explosion while the Red Skull and Baron Strucker seemingly escaped with what they sought. Bucky and the others left not knowing that the Red Skull succeeded in summoning the Hammer of Skadi, a weapon that would plague them all decades later . Joining Captain America to the Mojave Desert, he aided Cap in stopping Japanese agent the Vulture, and at Camp Lehigh stopped the assassin calling himself the Yellow Claw . Returning to England, Bucky and Steve failed to stop the capture of Private Biljo White, creator of the Major Victory comic book. Realizing that the title character shared a similar origin to Captain America, the Invaders tracked White to Nazi Germany to Hitler's stronghold in the hopes of preventing the Nazis from potentially recreating the Super Soldier Serum. There Bucky and the others were overpowered and captured by a revived Master Man . The Nazis only briefly replicated the process, transforming Julia Koenig into Warrior Woman, who easily trounced the Invaders, leaving Captain America for dead . Adolf Hitler then ordered the "surviving" Invaders to be transported to Berlin to be executed following the wedding of Master Man and Warrior Woman . Captain America in truth survived and with the aid of the Destroyer, Spitfire and Dyna-Mite attempt to rescue Bucky and the others. The plan fails and Cap and Spitfire are captured. Put before a firing squad, the entire team is almost gunned down when they are saved at the last minute by the Destroyer who had then taken on his fathers former identity as the new Union Jack . During the subsequent battle, Bucky and the Invaders defeat Master Man and Warrior Woman , and recover Captain America's shield before Hitler can escape with it. Fleeing in a bomber, they are forced to splash dive in the Channel . They are recovered by the British Navy, and with Toro seriously injured they rush him to a hospital where Bucky and the others learns of Toro's origins . After Toro undergoes surgery, the doctors tell the Invaders that the only man who could possibly save Toro is a Japanese-American doctor named Hijiri Sabuki who is living in California. With the Invaders needed on a mission in Egypt, Bucky agrees to take Toro to get help alone . Arriving at Sabuki's home, Bucky learns that the doctor -- like many Japanese-Americans during the war -- was taken from his home and placed in a relocation camp under suspicion of being a spy . Turning Toro over to a nearby hospital, Bucky is told by a nurse that Dr. Sabuki has been placed at the relocation center at Sandy Flat. Rushing there, Bucky meets with the commanding officer Commander Simms. When Simms racist views cause Bucky to lose his temper, he storms through the relocation camp to search for Sabuki without authorization. Finding Sabuki with his daughter Gwendolyne he convinces the doctor to aid him. However, before they can break out of the camp, they are ambushed and overpowered by minions of Agent Axis who seeks to force Dr. Sabuki to separate the three minds trapped in his body . Learning that Toro is in a nearby hospital, Agent Axis captures him and hospital assistant Davey Mitchell and takes them captive. Sabuki, instead of curing Agent Axis, heals Toro and endows Gwendolyn and Davie with super-human abilities to fight off Agent Axis. As a battle with Agent Axis began to break out, the Invaders (having tracked Bucky) smash through the room to lend a hand . Bucky and his new young friends assist the Invaders in capturing Agent Axis. Deciding to band together as the Kid Commandos, Bucky and the other youths convince Commander Simms that Gwendolyn (now calling herself Golden Girl) poses no threat to national security . Returning to solo adventures with Captain America, Bucky assists Cap, Nick Fury an the Howling Commandos in preventing the Nazis from digging a tunnel from France to England to spring an invasion . Bucky also helps Captain America stop two similar plots to demoralize the American people with fantastic invasions. The first perpetuated by Nazi agent Fritz Krone creating an invasion of "Earth-Men" from under New York City, and the second by Nazi agents inspired by Orson Welles reading of War of the Worlds to stage a mock Martian invasion of Gotham City . Later, Bucky and Captain America clashed with the Japanese assassin known as the Vampire . Bucky then helped Captain America and Betty Ross end the Legion of the Devil's occupation of the town of Valley Ridge. When the Red Skull returned, he managed to injure Bucky with an arrow to the shoulder. While Bucky recuperated in hospital, the Skull captured Captain America and began committing crimes disguised as the hero. Knowing the truth, Bucky found Cap and rescued him and the pair clashed with the Red Skull. The battle ended with the Skull falling off a plane to his seeming demise and Captain America was able to clear his name . The Red Skull survived however, and resumed acts of sabotage. When a nearby battle ship was bombed, Bucky and the Young Allies came to the aid of the crew and rescued Betty Dean. Chasing after the Red Skull, they followed him to Washington D.C. and with the assistance of the Human Torch and Captain America foiled the Skull's plot to poison the population of the capital city. The battle ended when the Young Allies pushed the Skull off a cliff to his seeming demise . Returning to the Kid Commandos, Bucky assisted them in breaking up a spy network attracting the attention of Japanese operative Lady Lotus. Taking an interest in Golden Girl, Lady Lotus sent U-Man to capture her leading to a clash with the Kid Commandos. Bucky and his comrades proved to be no match for the Atlantean warrior and were easily beaten . The Invaders arrived but failed to stop U-Man from escaping with Golden Girl. Bucky, Toro and the Top joined the Invaders in tracking down Golden Girl to Lady Lotus's hideout. After saving their teammate, a joyous Bucky hugged Golden Girl, embarassing her and creating jealousy within Toro who was developing feelings for their female comrade . Shortly after this, Bucky and Captain America viewed some newsreel footage of one of their major wartime battles, noting the sensationalism and complete disregard of the death of a soldier from Iowa who died in battle . Back with Captain America on solo missions, Bucky next faced the ape-bodied Killer Kole, prevented Nazi agent the Spook from sparking a war between the United States and the Sub-Earth Men, and stopped mad scientist Professor Clement Mott from destroying the Earth with his Cosmic Depressor device . While posing as a pin boy, Bucky helped Captain America helped expose a conspiracy to usurp the United States government by the Holy Ring cult who were operating out of a nearby bowling alley, then found themselves deployed to Egypt where they assisted Professor Wimbley on a dig of a nearby pyramid . Bucky also joined Captain America, Sub-Mariner, Human Torch, Toro, the Vision, the Destroyer, Black Widow, Black Avenger, Blazing Skull and Black Marvel in invading a Nazi stronghold in Europe . Returning to the United States, Bucky joined the Invaders in defending the Brooklyn shipyards from what appeared to be an attack by the briefly time displaced Thor Corps . Bucky was next sent with Captain America to the California coast to stop an invasion of Japanese soldiers led by the Mock Mikado , then traveled to Japan to rescued Betty Dean and destroy the Paw's massive cannon that could fire shells across the Pacific Ocean . When the Young Allies were asked to appear in a movie about their adventures, Bucky and the other Young Allies took up the opportunity which led to the youths (with the help of Captain America and the Human Torch) foiling the Owl's plan to assist in a Japanese invasion of America. Later when Bucky and Steve were air dropped into the swamps of the southern United States they clashed with the Crocodile, and were later deployed to Nazi Germany to rescue the captured General Spencer from Nazi torture expert Herr Demon . In London, Captain America and Bucky thwarted Dr. Destiny's experiments to transform people into massive "Clammy Things", in Egypt they prevented the Spawn of the Witch Queen from resurrecting his mother, and in India, Captain America and Bucky stopped attacked by Japanese sympathizer the Fakir (Earth-616)Fakir . After stopping Dr. Crime and his Nazi allies , Bucky assisted Captain America in exposing the supposed return of the mystical Medusa as a hoax perpetuated by Nazi agent Anton Harvey . Bucky next joined Captain America in leading American troops on an airdrop into the Swiss Alps to investigate intelligence reports that the Red Skull was developing Sleeper robots in the area . Later learning that Baron Zemo was attempting to unleash his new Particle X device to quash Allied radio transmission, Captain America and Bucky destroyed the device with the assistance of Citizen V . Shortly thereafter, Bucky assisted Captain America in preventing the Creeper from creation tensions between the United States and Alslavia, are tricked into battling the sorcerer Balthar by a demon calling himself Satan , and stopped the phony medium and Nazi spy Dr. Eternity . Captain America and Bucky then became involved in the liberation of the Microverse world of Mita which was under the oppressive rule of the evil dictator Togaro . During the course of this adventure Bucky developed an unrequited crush on the Mitan known as Ailma while they were captured by Togaro. Captain America and his Mitan allies later freed Bucky and Ailma and escaped to Earth although Mita and most of its people were slain, Captain America eventually slew Togaro ending his threat . Shortly after the Mitan affair, Captain America and Bucky turned a potential Propaganda victory for Hans Stryker against him, with Bucky filming the Nazi's defeat . Bucky later helps Steve clear his name for the murder of a high ranking military official by exposing the real killer, a Nazi agent known as the Ring . Bucky and the Young Allies next stop Nazi agent Professor Kraut and stop Togo's "Comet of Doom" . By October of that year, Bucky accompanied Captain America, the Human Torch and Toro to Shanghai, China, to help liberate young Chinese genius Zhang Chin . Finding the boy, Bucky and the others managed to evade Japanese forces and get to the extraction point where the Sub-Mariner was waiting for them . In early November, Bucky accompanied the Invaders onto the Russian front where they joined Russian forces led by Vasily Karpov. Participating in an attack on Nazi forces in the town of Kalach, they uncovered Master Man and the Red Skull hiding there with a new ray weapon. Outgunned, the Skull set the weapon to explode and fled with Master Man leaving Bucky and the others to save as many villagers as possible while the town burned to the ground . 1943 In the start of 1943, Bucky was with the Invaders assisting with the resistance movement in Poland. On the eve of his 18th birthday, their cover was blown when Toro wanted to prepare a surprise party for Bucky, leading to a clash with Master Man and Warrior Woman . Back in the United States, Bucky assisted Captain America in foiling Izan from replacing air raid wardens with spies, apprehended Turtle Man's criminal army hiding out in the Louisiana swamp, and foil an insurance fraud scheme created by phony mystic Prince Ba'rahm . The duo later prevent a model prototype sub from reaching the clutched of Nazi agent the Eraser , battle the Vampire Count Varnis, and Nazi ship wrecker the Eel . When Baron Blood next plagued Captain America, Bucky witnessed as Captain America was first bit, then turned into a Vampire. Before Cap could attack Bucky, he was cured by his fellow Invaders . Dispatched to New Guinea, Buck also aided Captain America in stopping Japanese soldier Kuhomai from assassinating General Douglas MacArthur . On January 7, 1943, Bucky accompanied Captain America to the New Yorker Hotel where they fail to stop Master Man from killing scientist Nikola Tesla. However, Bucky accompanies Captain America as he and Hilda Zemo travel to the secret base of her husband, Baron Zemo. There they attempt to stop Zemo from combining Tesla's Teleray technology with his death ray device to destroy incoming Allied Bombers. Despite being betrayed by a young Heinrich Zemo, Bucky is saved by Captain America and they succeed in destroying the device, although it comes at the cost at Hilda's life . Back in the United States, Bucky helps Captain America stop Karr the Mummy , travels to the nation of Bonara with the Young Allies and thwarts attacks by Nazi agent the Ambassador of Terror and later helps the Young Allies destroy a secret tunnel that leads from China to the United States created by the Serpent . Getting stranded on the Russian front with Captain America, Bucky helps his mentor expose a Nazi plot to use a battleship disguised as an iceberg to attack the military base at Murmansk . Returning to the United States, Bucky helps Captain America defend Camp Lehigh from an attack by Nazi soldiers and their biologically engineered Killer Beasts . In Quebec City, Canada, Bucky helps Captain America rescue General Bedoin from Nazi spies, and later back home they are captured by Nazi spies and smuggled into Nazi Germany where they break free and assist French resistance fighters in blowing up a Nazi aircraft factory . Relocated to Panama, Bucky aids Captain America in defending the locks from attacks by escaped prisoner of war Baron von Widemouth . Bucky joins Captain America in accepting a challenge by the international spy known only as the Torso. Through the course of their battle, Bucky is briefly taken hostage as the Torso attempts to escape through th Swiss mountains. When Captain America threatens to get to close to the villain, he tosses the youth down the mountain. Captain America catches the boy before he can be harmed and the Torso falls to his death. Later, while back on the Pacific, Bucky helps Captain America destroy a hidden Japanese base protected by the Birdmen of Pa-Pi-Ru-Gua . Returning to the United States, Bucky helps Captain America fake his death in order to capture Nazi spy the Great Varda . 1944 1945 Death of Bucky, Birth of Winter Soldier In late 1945, toward the end of the war, Captain America and Bucky were in London, England, on the trail of Nazi scientist Baron Heinrich Zemo. They discovered Zemo in the process of stealing an experimental drone plane built by the Allies. In the ensuing battle with Zemo's powerful humanoid robot, both Captain America and Bucky were rendered unconscious and strapped to the drone plane to be delivered to Hitler in Berlin. Unable to stand the sight of their patriotic costumes, Zemo dressed them in U.S. Army uniforms. Managing to escape before Zemo activated the plane, the two American champions saw the drone plane begin to move just as they jumped off. Quickly, Captain America and Bucky grabbed a motorcycle and tried to catch up with it. Just before it flew out of reach, the two leaped for the plane. Bucky leaped first and managed to get a grip on the plane's wing. Captain America missed, and shouted to his partner to let go in case the plane was booby-trapped. Bucky was unable to comply with his partner's commands because his uniform sleeved snagged onto the cockpit of the plane. The plane exploded, seemingly killing Bucky instantly. Captain America plunged into the English Channel to undergo the process of suspended animation, but Bucky's remains were never recovered strengthening the belief that he was killed in action. James however was very much alive. When he had failed to disarm the plane in time he had leaped off of the plane but did not escape completely unscratched. The explosion had claimed his entire left arm. He then plunged into the icy waters only to undergo the same process his mentor had. After the war had ended, a Russian submarine hoping to recover and capture the missing Captain America (Steve Rogers) instead found the preserved body of Bucky. After being retrieved and examined for any traces of the Super Soldier serum, his body was placed in cryostasis. 1950s In 1954, he was revived and outfitted with a replacement bionic arm which had been made after a Soviet spy had recovered schematics for cybernetic appendage. The arm was to be replaced by a newer and more advanced one every time there was an improvement in their technology. While he had no memory of his past, Barnes still had considerable physical skill. He was indoctrinated to hate the West and was provided with mental implants during sensory deprivation, molding him into the perfect assassin. It was during this period that he met Natasha Romanoff, whom he helped train in combat while she was undergoing espionage training. They fell in love and James often snuck out into her sleeping quarters just so he could see her. Although Natasha was promised to Alexi Shostakov, she still loved James more. This relationship did not last. Natasha learned that when Barnes was not needed for an operation or assassination he was kept in cryostasis in order to cease his aging. 1960s 1970s 1980s Modern Era He used to conduct many strategic assassinations across the world and would sometimes stay in one nation for extended periods. One of his targets was Itsu, the pregnant wife of his wartime ally James Howlett (known then as Logan). However, after one of his missions, Barnes did not report back on time. Agents found him wandering in New York City and recovered him. In 1983, he was assigned to accompany Vasily Karpov, an elderly general that had served in WWII as bodyguard. He maintained the position until the general's death five years later. Barnes had demonstrated mental instability in some of his later missions and was placed into stasis at one of Karpov's storage facilities which had been inherited by his protégé, General Aleksander Lukin. Following the USSR's collapse, Lukin went rogue and established the Kronas Oil Corporation. In order to cease the Red Skull's new Cosmic Cube, General Lukin reactivated Barnes to assassinate the Skull, although neither of them realized had simultaneously transferred his consciousness into Lukin's body. After assassinating the adventurer Nomad (Jack Monroe) and framing him for the Skull's assassination, Barnes detonated a fire bomb in Philadelphia which claimed many victims. Their deaths helped power the Cosmic Cube, but Lukin who had been disturbed by the Cube's effect gave it to Barnes to store in a nuclear-safe vault in West Virginia. During investigations by Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D., Captain America (Steve Rogers) discovered the true identity of the Lukin's assassin and confronted him at the vault. The two engaged in combat until Rogers gained possession of the cube and used its powers to restore James' lost memories. Overcome with remorse, Barnes used the cube to teleport away and went underground to search for Lukin and the Red Skull, still unaware that they were now one and the same. After a confrontation with the now X-Man Wolverine in Serbia, Barnes managed to track Lukin to England where the Skull unleashed a sleeper robot, salvaged from the Eisendorf excavation. Barnes abandoned his initial intentions to seek and eliminate Lukin to aid Rogers in destroying the robot. This was the first time in over half a century that they worked together, but he fled afterwards unable to face his mentor. He was revealed to be an undercover operative working for Nick Fury, who had gone underground after leaving SHIELD. Barnes encountered the Young Avengers Patriot, Hawkeye, and Vision on one of his assignments and learned how his and Cap's adventures had inspired contemporary heroes. He also reconciled with his former Invaders teammate Namor, assisted Wolverine with incapacitating his son Daken, and comforted a cynical Patriot (Elijah Bradley). Following Captain America's assassination, Barnes resolved to kill the two men he held responsible: the Red Skull and current S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Tony Stark (Iron Man). He acquired Cap's indestructible shield after defeating Black Widow, his former lover and student, in combat when she was assigned to move it to another location. Barnes then tracked Lukin and eventually confronted him only to discover his quarry was not a lead, but the Red Skull himself. Eventually captured by the Skull's forces, he resisted brainwashing by Dr. Faustus and was rescued by Falcon with the help of Sharon Carter, who was pretending to still be under Faustus' control. Barnes was then placed into SHIELD custody, but escaped and confronted Stark. He disabled his armor and fought him to a standstill only to learn his mentor's final requests of Stark: to rescue Barnes from his descent into violence and insanity, and to pass the Captain America identity to a successor. Stark felt the best way to honor both his friend's requests was for Barnes to become Captain America. Barnes agreed on the provision that his mind be cleansed of any remaining mental implants, and that he would answer to no one, not even Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. As Captain America Now residing in Steve Rogers S.H.I.E.L.D. safe house, he outfitted himself with an alternate version of Cap's costume built by Tony Stark and, carrying his indestructible shield along with other weapons, Barnes quickly reacted against the efforts by the Red Skull and his accomplices to spread panic. Although effective in battle, he had yet to win the support or respect of either the US government or the general public. A number of civilians and costumed adventurers also disapproved of his current wardrobe; especially Clint Barton (Ronin, A.K.A Hawkeye). Despite the negative attention Barnes received, he continued to fight terrorism as Captain America and was often aided by Falcon (Sam Wilson), despite his initial disapproval of him. Together the two fought an A.I.M cell headed by Arnim Zola. The Red Skull did not remain quiet for long. He responded to Barnes' meddling by sending the Grand Director, whose mind had been molded by Doctor Faustus to believe he was Steve Rogers and Captain America after him; James barely survived the confrontation, and was forced by Falcon to retreat. The two investigated the Grand Director's next course of actions after he escaped from the Skull's grasp and was becoming mentally unstable; most of it was hiding and running from detection by A.I.M. and the Red Skull. James was finally recognized by United States government and the public as hero after foiling an assassination attempt on both Republican and Democratic candidates for political debates by Sin, daughter of the Red Skull. He also revamped his relationship with the Black Widow, one of his few remaining friends who is consistently faithful to him. It was not long before he became involved in major conflicts such as an Invasion by extraterrestrial Skrulls along many other superheroes in New York. Wanting to continue to living his predecessor's legacy, James invited Clint Barton and the New Avengers to his safe-house, offering it as their base of operations as well as his own allegiance to their cause. Although he was reformed, there were still a few officials from both America and other foreign nations who had not all forgotten his past as the Winter Soldier. Captain America: Reborn Bucky found out from Sharon that she had not really killed the original Captain America. As explained by Doctor Zola to Osborn, Rogers was trapped in a fixed position of time and space. But since Sharon ruined the machine that was suppose to bring him back, Steve was reliving his own past. Bucky and Black Widow attempted to steal the device from H.A.M.M.E.R, but they were captured. Osborn sent Widow back to Sharon with an ultimatum: either she would turn herself in, as Osborn had implicated her as Rogers' second shooter, or he would kill Bucky. Bucky was then sent into the custody of the Thunderbolts, who told him that he would be inducted into their group once Rogers was brought back. However, Bucky was secretly freed by Ant-Man and then rescued by Falcon.''Captain America: Reborn #1-3 After a period of reflection, Barnes decide to give up the Captain America identity in favor of the revived Rogers. Before giving up the Captain America mantle, Bucky and the Black Widow decide to fight and throw the shield one last time. Coincidentally, Rogers was suited up and ready to fight crime that night as well until he witnessed Bucky and the Black Widow depart. Rogers decides to peruse the dynamic duo and upon doing so realized that Bucky would be well off as Captain America. A quick battle ensues when Bucky and the Black Widow encounter Mr. Hyde and his henchman. After the two heroes dispense with the henchman, Mr. Hyde attempts to escape until Rogers joins the battle and defeats him. Quickly after, Rogers officially and respectfully hands the Captain America mantle over to Bucky giving Bucky his blessing. Two Americas Wolverine Weapon X In a distant future, approximately 25 years from Marvel time, a company known as Roxxon begins to send Deathlok cyborgs into the past and assassinate all super heroes in attempt to monopolize the US and possibly the world. Their only opposing force is a group of rebels that just so happens to consist of Wolverine. Their prime directive now is to find and assassinate the rebellion group leader known as the General. After assassinating the Punisher in an unknown time, their next target happens to be the current Captain America, James Buchanan Barnes. It has been hinted that the General is possibly Bucky himself because of his refusal to attempt to save himself possibly distorting the future time line the General has fought so hard for. Fear Itself When Skadi led her attack on Washington, D.C. Bucky was there to oppose her; however, her power proved too great and he was beat to with-in an inch of his life. Before passing out, Bucky told Black Widow to warn people about the Serpent. Barnes was rushed to Fury, who gave him the Infinity Formula, which saved his life and restored him. Bucky decided to stay underground and has returned to his Winter Soldier identity. Bucky's LMD was buried at the Arlington National Cemetery. References